Sure you remember when you started reading. The emotion to be able to interpret those symbols that the elders read without any difficulty and you do not. It is also possible that you felt a certain impotence when traveling to a foreign country in which the alphabet used is different from yours. Some posters can guess what they say, but in general it is impossible to decipher them. In Supercurioso we have seen how to interpret some signs as " 14 symbols used in Alchemy and its meaning "Or" How to interpret images: the symbols of the Saints " On this occasion we have approached others that can be cited as curiosities of cemeteries . Are the symbols on gravestones of cemeteries and we have tried to figure out how to interpret them.
A symbol is the perceptible representation of an idea. That is to say that a concept or idea is assigned a representation and this is accepted by a social convention. It is not necessary to have any kind of similarity or contiguity with its significant, it is only necessary that the link is conventional. Every historical moment has had its symbols and on many occasions later generations have forgotten its meaning. One of the cases that we saw in Supercurioso is that of Ichthys, secret symbol of Christians during the persecutions , We see a fish, but for the first Christians it was much more.
Symbols on gravestones of cemeteries
Surely you've been to a cemetery once and you've seen that there are many different symbols on the gravestones. They tell stories without words and often explain how they lived, died or were cried those who are buried there. Let's see what they want to explain to us, so the next time you visit a cemetery you can "read" the tombstones in addition to reflect on death .
Hourglass - The first of these symbols on gravestones They are the hourglasses. They usually represent the passage of time and how the person's hours on Earth have come to an end. If the hourglass has wings it symbolizes the transience of life and that time passes so fast that it seems to have wings and if it is overturned it means that the person's time has stopped.
A sun - The setting sun is the representation of the end of a life and if the faith in the new life is born.
A broken flower - A broken flower means that life has been truncated too soon, without reaching fullness. A rosebud with a broken stem usually represents a girl who died before reaching a woman.
Angels - Many gravestones have sculpted angels or statues of angels on them. They usually represent the guardianship and protection of the soul of the deceased. If the angel weeps he transmits the pain of an untimely death, if he is with open wings represents the flight of that soul to heaven, if the angel carries the deceased in his arms, it escorts him to heaven and if he blows a trumpet to the day of the Final Judgment.
Chains and broken columns - The chains with a broken link represent a loss in a family unit and a broken column indicates a short life, remembering someone who died young or at the height of life without reaching old age.
A candle - The candle symbolizes the spirit or the soul and if it is a Christian tomb it can represent Jesus as the light of the world.
Group of cherubs - They are usually in children's tombs and it means that these angelic creatures accompany the infant's soul on their way to heaven.
A circle - Sometimes the circle is a plant crown, in others a uróboro or snake that bites its own tail and can also be a wheel. In all cases it represents the hope of eternal life.
The cross - It is a symbol of the Christian faith and symbolizes faith and hope in the resurrection and eternal life.
A lamb - It is usually in the graves of children and symbolizes innocence. It can also represent Jesus Christ, the "Agnus Dei" or Lamb of God.
A skeleton or a skull - It's one of the symbols on gravestones most common It represents death and reminds us of our own mortality. If it is a winged skull, it tells us about the transience of life and the passage of the soul to a plane higher than this.
A dove - It is one of the most represented symbols. It can mean peace, love or freedom of the spirit of the deceased or be a Christian symbol: the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. In this case it represents hope in the resurrection and eternal life.
If the pigeon starts an ascending flight it transports the soul to the sky and if it is dead it symbolizes a life that is too short. If the pigeon bears an olive branch in its beak, it means that the dead man has reached eternal peace in heaven.
A scythe - If the gravestone or tomb bears a scythe, it is a symbol of a life sown by death.
Memento mori - If the tombstone displays this message "memento mori" which means "remember that you must die", it reminds us that we are mortal and it is an invitation to reflect on life and death.
The anchor - The anchor was initially a symbol in the Christian tombs that tried to camouflage a cross. Today it means hope and firmness in the anchoring of Christ and also simply that there rests a sailor or a lover of the sea.
Stars - The stars symbolize divine guidance and if they have five points they can represent the wounds of Christ for Christians.
Wheat - If there is a sheaf of wheat on the tombstone it means that person lived to maturity.
A tree - The tree symbolizes eternal life and if it is a stump, a life truncated too soon.
An urn - The urn was a symbol of death for the Greeks and meant that the body was no more than a vessel for the soul. If the urn is partly covered by a veil it represents the separation between life and death.
The torches - The flames are a symbol of eternal life or light. If the torch is turned upside down they represent eternal life that can not be extinguished since it continues to burn in the future life.
Hands - Hands express the relationship of the deceased with other human beings and with God. A united hand symbolizes both the unity and separation of a loved one and that the deceased will be a guide for those who remain. If a finger of one hand points upwards it means the hope of heaven and if it points downwards it is the hand of God reaching the soul of the deceased or that the person died suddenly. There are also hands that simply pray or bless.
The alpha and the omega - The alpha and the omega are symbols on the tombstones that represent Christ and the faith in the resurrection.
A book - The last of these symbols on the tombstones are the books. A book can represent the Book of Life, a Bible, learning or knowledge and also be an indication that there lies a writer or a person related to books in some way.
There are many symbols that you can find on the tombstones of a cemetery. exist dark cemeteries and others that are less, but in addition to terrifying stories we can also read information on the tombstones of a graveyard. Do you know other symbols on the tombstones and their meaning? If so, share them with us and we can expand this list. If you want to know more about cemeteries we invite you to visit some of the most famous:
- 20 Curiosities of the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris | Spooky
- Tulcán Cemetery | 10 Curiosities a unique cemetery
- 10 Curiosities of the Greyfriars Cemetery | Spooky